North Dakota, 2015

Winter Weather in North Dakota, April 5, 2015

April 5, 2015 · NWS BIS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An upper level wave passing through the region brought widespread light to moderate snow over northwest into north central North Dakota. A localized west to east orientated band of enhanced snowfall developed over extreme northwest Ward County, with 14 inches of snow reported in Kenmare.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.

An upper level wave passing through the region brought widespread light to moderate snow over northwest into north central North Dakota. A localized west to east orientated band of enhanced snowfall developed over extreme northwest Ward County, with 14 inches of snow reported in Kenmare. Much lower amounts were reported in surrounding areas. Just 10 miles outside of Kenmare snow totals were under six inches.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 5, 11:49 AM CST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 5, 11:49 AM CST, 11 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 5, 9:02 AM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 5, 10:13 AM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes before
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Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Ward

When
April 5, 12:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Ward forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media

By 2:30 PM CDT three inches of snow had fallen in Kenmare since the previous night. The snow then quickly increased in intensity, with a total of 14 inches reported at 9:00 PM CDT.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, April 2015

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 570262.